75. The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

Bibliographic Citation:
Diesen, Deborah. The Pout-Pout Fish. Illustrated by Dan Hanna. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008. ISBN 978-0374360962. 

Awards/Selection Lists:
Time Magazine's Top 10 Childrens’ Books of 2008

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
The Pout-Pout Fish moves around the ocean with a pout on his face, and thinks it's his job to be dreary, until he learns a new lesson about the pout on his face.

Personal Reaction:
This book reveals that sometimes the things that might not seem so great about ourselves can turn out to give a lot of joy to others. The fish in this story was born with a pout, and so he thinks that it is his job to "spread the dreary wearies" all around the ocean. He meets other animals in the ocean as he swims along and they each try to cheer him up. It's not until he meets a fish who kisses him at the end of the book that he realizes that his pout can actually spread love and joy if he uses it for sharing love. 

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 4-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Grumpiness, self-acceptance, change of attitude, ocean life, love

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.


Narrative Skills: 
Children are invited to participate in the telling of the story through the rhyming text and the repeated refrain, "blub, blub, blub".


Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is addressed through rhyming, rhythmic text and alliteration.


Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed in a small, simple font in the empty space in the illustrations.



Print Motivation: 
This is a fun story that children will enjoy hearing and participating in through the rhymes and sound effects that are a part of the text. The illustrations are cartoon-like, and invite children to enjoy the pictures as the story is read, or enjoy them on their own.


Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this book is centered around different types of creations found in the ocean, as well as the moods of the Pout-Pout Fish.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://deborahdiesen.com/
Illustrator website: http://www.bluebellylizard.com/index.html

74. Stars by Mary Lyn Ray

Bibliographic Citation:
Ray, Mary Lyn. Stars. Illustrated by Marla Frazee. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books, 2011. 40 p. ISBN 978-1442422490.

Awards/Selection Lists:
Starred Review, Publishers Weekly
Starred Review, School Library Journal
Starred Review, Booklist

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
This book encourages children to observe the stars in the night sky.

Personal Reaction:
Beautiful illustrations inspire children to notice the beauty of the stars in the night. The text also encourages children to create their own stars to keep in their pockets to help them remember that they are special. 

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Nighttime, stars, observation, self-esteem

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.


Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are modeled through simple lines of text. Children are encouraged to participate in answering questions posed throughout the text.


Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.


Print Awareness:
The text appears in a small, simple font against a white background, which draws attention to the words printed on the page.


Print Motivation: 
This book, with its beautiful illustrations of stars in the night's sky and simple text encourages children to observe the details of stars in the night sky, as well as to connect their observations to the story. 


Vocabulary:
The vocabulary of the story focuses on the descriptions of stars as they are observed in the sky, as well as physical attributes of real and created star shapes.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
Illustrator website: http://www.marlafrazee.com/

71. No Two Alike by Keith Baker

Bibliographic Citation:
Baker, Keith. No Two Alike. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books, 2011. 40 p. ISBN 978-1442417427.

Awards/Selection Lists:
Booklist, Starred Review

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Two red birds play in the snow as rhyming text describes how snowflakes, nature, and people are all unique. 

Personal Reaction:
Individuality is represented through this story of two red birds who play together among the falling snow. Rhyming text describes how different the birds are from one another, as well as how snowflakes are each different, as are people and parts of nature. 

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-6 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Individuality, winter, birds

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.


Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are modeled through the rhyming text being read aloud.


Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is presented through rhyming, rhythmic text.


Print Awareness:
The text on the pages appears in small, black print on light blue and white backgrounds within the illustrations. 


Print Motivation: 
The gentle, rhyming text reads almost like a poem, and the digitally produced images provide often humorous illustrations for children to enjoy with an adult or on their own.  

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary deals with things seen in winter, as well as individuality, in nature and among people.



Author/ Illustrator Website:

http://www.keithbakerbooks.com/ 

70. The Biggest Kiss by Joanna Walsh

Bibliographic Citation:

Walsh, Joanna. The Biggest Kiss. Illustrated by Judi Abbot. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2011. 32p. ISBN 978-1-4424-27693

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Different kisses for different animals are represented through rhyming text and colorful illustrations.

Personal Reaction:
The smallest ant and the biggest elephant all receive kisses. The rhyming text of this story about different types of kisses for different animals is combined with lively illustrations, which young children will enjoy. The rhyming format changes throughout the book, which makes the text read like a song at times.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 2-5 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Parents, children, love, animals, rhyming, alliteration 

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge:
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills:
The rhyming text invites children to help recite the story along with the reader as they become familiar with the words.

Phonological Awareness:
Phonological awareness is fostered through rhyming text, alliteration, and phrases, which are sometimes represented within the inside of the sentence's structure, while other times it is presented as end rhyme.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story appears in various font sizes, with the word "kiss" appearing in bold print.

Print Motivation:
The whimsy of the illustrations and the fun of the rhyming text make this a book that children will enjoy reading together with an adult.

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary of this book deals with different animals, sizes, and uses some nonsense words within the rhymes and alliteration that is presented.

Author/ Illustrator Website:

Illustrator website: http://www.giudiimages.it/

64. Go, Go, Grapes: A Fruit Chant by April Pulley Sayre

Bibliographic Citation:
Sayre, April Pulley. Go, Go, Grapes!: A Fruit Chant. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books, 2012. 32 p. ISBN 978-1442433908.

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
This book showcases different types of fruits through photographs taken at farmer's markets, small grocery stores, and fruit stands. 

Personal Reaction:
Rhyming text is presented alongside photographs to identify different types of fruit. The rhythmic text describes the attributes of the various fruits in the pictures, including color, taste, and texture.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Fruits, colors, textures, taste, nonfiction

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.


Narrative Skills: 
The narrative, rhythmic text invites children to participate in reading the story. Dialogic reading would also offer children the opportunity to identify fruit in the accompanying photographs.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is presented through rhyming text and alliteration.

Print Awareness:
Text appears in white font against colorful backgrounds, which draws attention to the printed words of the book.


Print Motivation: 
Children will enjoy the colorful pages and photographs included in this book. The rhyming text is presented in fun, rhythmic way that will have children jumping in as the story is read.


Vocabulary:
Vocabulary presented in this book is focused around different types of fruit and the way they look, feel, and taste. Children will be presented with the identification of new types of fruit.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.aprilsayre.com/

51. Chocolate Me! by Taye Diggs

Bibliographic Citation:
Diggs, Taye. Chocolate Me! Illustrated by Shane Evans. New York, NY: Feiwel and Friends, 2011. 36 p. ISBN 978-0-312-60326-7. 

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
This book, through the story of a young, African American child, represents differences in race, accepting one's own identity, and accepting others' for who they are.

Personal Reaction:

The combination of the rhyming text with the description of the child's skin color as "chocolate" from his own perspective offers a little levity to a serious issue.  Children who might feel different from other children around them will identify with the main character in this book. The ending of the story demonstrates how our differences can be a positive thing.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 4-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Diversity, self-acceptance, self-esteem, self-identity

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Children are invited to become part of the narration of the story through the repetition of the title throughout the book, as well as through the rhyming text.


Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is demonstrated in this book through rhyming phrases that are a part of the story.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed on each page in spaces that are open of illustrations. The color of the font is changed on pages where the print may be more difficult to see. The repeated phrase, which is also the title of the book, "Chocolate me" is printed in brown, larger text, drawing attention to the words each time.

Print Motivation: 
The rhythmic, rhyming text of this book make it a fun read. The method of telling the story from the perspective of a young African American child  who feels different from other children in his community provides a realistic view of the way that a young child might feel, and children who identify with this character will enjoy reading this book.  

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary in this book deals with skin color, physical attributes, and self-acceptance. 



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://chocolatemetoo.com/

46. About a Bear by Holly Surplice

Bibliographic Citation:
Surplice, Holly. About a Bear. Wilton, CT: Tiger Tales, 2012. 32 p. ISBN 978-1-58925-112-0.

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:

Bears can be a lot of things, from happy to sad, and from hungry to sleepy, and many things in between.

Personal Reaction:

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-5 years of age.

Themes/Issues:

Emotions, characteristics, friendship

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Rhyming, simple lines of text match the colorful illustrations of the story in a way that encourages children to become involved in the narration as they become familiar with the text.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is addressed through the rhythmic, rhyming text of the book.

Print Awareness:
The written text is matched up within the illustrations on each page, drawing attention to the fact that the words on the page match what is happening in the story as the words are read aloud.


Print Motivation: 
The bright, vivid colors that are used in the illustrations of a cute bear and his friends match the simple, rhyming words well. This book is fun and quick to read, and portrays a happy ending among animal friends of the forest.  

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary used in this book is used to tell about the qualities of all the things a bear might be.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://hollysurplice.blogspot.com/